Sharp County record., 1887-08-25

not think il wrong to caricature and Jeer
the peculiar forms of religion in the
world. and denounce other sects and otner
denominations. 1t is very often the case
that that kind of education acts opposite
TO what it is expected, and the children
grow up, and, after awhile, go and see for
themselves; and looking into those
churches, and finding that the people are
good there, and they love God and Keep
His commandments, by natural reaction
thew 90 and Join those very churches.
couId mention the names of prominent
ministers Of the Gospel who have spent
their whole life bombarding other denoml'
nations, and who lived to see their children
preach the Gospel in those very denoml-
nations, But it is often the case that big
otry starts in household, and that the
subject never RECEIVERS. There are tens OF
thousands of bigots ten years old.
Look out for the man who sees only one
side of a religious truth. Look out for the
man who never walks around about tneSe
great theories of God and eternity and the
dead. He will be a bigot inevitably-the
man who only sees one side. There IS no
man more to be pitied than he who has IN
his head Just one idea-no more, no less
More light, less sectarianism. There is
nothing that will so soon kill blgotry as
sunshine-God's sunshine.
So have l set before you what l con-
slider to be the causes of bigotry. have
set before you the origin of this great evil.
What are some of the baneful effects! First
wrong and l am right, and that ends IT,
No taste for exploration, no spirit OF lnves-
tigation. From the glorious realm OF Gods
truth, over which an archangel might ny
from eternity to eternity and not reach
the limit. the man shuts himself out ana
dies, a blind mole under a corn-shock. IL
stops all investigation.
While each denomination OF the
Christians is to present all the truths OF
the Bible, it seems to me that God mas
piyen to each denomination an especial
mission to give particular emphasis TO
some one doctrine; and so the Calvinistic
churches must present the sovereignty of
Goo. and the Arminian churches must pre-
sent mans free agency, and the Episcopal
churches must present the Importance OF
order and solemn ceremony, and the
Baptist churches must present the neces'
sitv of ordinances, and the Congregations
al Church must present the responsibility
of the individual member, and the
Methodist Church must show what holy
enthusiasm, hearty congregational sing
ing can accomplish. While each denomi-
nation of Christians must set forth all the
doctrines of the Bible, feel it is especially
incumbent upon each denomination to put
particular emphasis on some one doctrine.
Another great damage done by the Sec
tarianism and bigotry Of the church is that
it disgusts people with the Christian re-
ligion. Now, my friends, the Church Of
God was never intended for war barrack.
People are afraid of riot. You go down
the street. and you see an excitement,
and missiles flying through the air, and
hear the shock of firearms. Do you, the
peaceful and Industrious citizen, 90 through
that street? ooh, mo-" you will say; "Pll
20 around the block" Now, men come and
look upon this narrow path to Heaven, and
sometimes see the ecclesiastical brickbats
flying every whittier, and they say
"Well, 1 guess I'll take the broad road; if
il is so rough, and there is so much sharp
shooting on the narrow road, guess III
try the broad road"
Francis |. so hated the Lutherans that
he said if he thought there was one drop
of Lutheran blood in his veins he would
puncture them and let that drop out.
Just as long as there is so much hostility
between denomination and denomination,
or between one professed Christian and an
other. lust so long men will be disgusted
with the Christian religion, and say: "lf
that is religion l want none Of it,"
Again, bigotry and sectarianism do
great damage in the fact that they hinder
the triumph of the Gospel. Oh, how much
wasted ammunition, how many men Of
splendid intellect have given their whole
life to controversial disputes, when, if
they had given their life to some thing
practical they might have been vastly use
full. Suppose this morning, while speak,
there were a common enemy coming up
the bay through the Narrows, and
all the forts around New York
began to fireinto each other, you would cry
out: ''National suicidel Why don't those
forts blaze away in one direction, and that
against the common enemy" And yet
sometimes see in the Church Of the Lord
Jesus Christ strange thing going on;
church against church, minister against
minister, denomination against denomina-
tion, firing away into their own fort, or
the fort which ought to be on the same
side, instead of concentrating their energy
and giving one mighty and everlasting
volley against the navies of darkness
riding up through the bay.
Igo out sometimes in the summer, and l
find two beehives, and these two beehives
are in quarrel. 1 come near enough, not
to be stung, but come just near enough to
hear the controversy, and one beehive
says: "That field of clover is the
sweetest" and another beehive says:
''This field of clover is the sweetest"
l come in between them and | say,
"Stop this quarrel; if you like this
field Of clover best, go there; if you like
that field of clover best, go there: but let
me tell you that that hive which
gets the most honey is the best hive" So
| come out between the churches Of the
| Lord Jesus Christ. One denomination of
| Christians says: "That field of Christian
doctrine is best;" and another says:
! "This field of Christian doctrine is best"
Well, say: $50 where you get the most
honey" That is the best church which
gets the most honey of Christian grace for
| the heart, and the most honey of Christian